Translation Industry Scams

Identity theft

Target: agencies
(but the freelancers are the ones whose good name is affected)

We receive CVs and job applications pretty much on a daily basis that appear likely to be cases of identity theft. The details of an existing translator are copied from somewhere on the net and then touted round agencies. Sometimes the whole name is changed, often only the first name (presumably in the hope that we'll think "Oh, that sounds familiar") and sometimes with the name left unchanged. They are then accompanied with a cover letter that is generally full of mistakes and often exactly the same for a number of applicants. Crucially, they all have an untraceable, free mail account (generally with Gmail or Hotmail). They then attempt to fob off Google Translate or other machine translation output as their own, hoping to have been paid by the agency before the end customer complains.

We have included a list of just a few of the many recent suspect contacts below. Naturally there is no reason why a bona fide translator shouldn't use a Gmail account, and some do (though this seems to me to be one good reason not to: now you can see why unsolicited applications from Gmail or Hotmail accounts just get binned). We also accept fully that there may be genuine translators out there with these names and we wish to make it perfectly clear that I am making no statement whatsoever about their skills and competences; we will be more than happy to remove names if contacted with proof that they are real. We are assuming that people will recognize that this is an attempt to publicize scammer practices and demonstrate the scale of the problem, not us making libellous statements about individuals.

Address	Name	Date	Reported by
bassma.ElKurd@hotmail.com	Bassma Alkurd	4-7-13	Jenny Z
emilebernard12@gmail.com	Émile Bernard	17-6-13	Mike W
marinab.italian@gmail.com	Marina Bianco	30-6-13	Jenny Z
lucja.biel5@hotmail.com	Lucja Biel	30-6-13	Jenny Z
lauratranslation@gmail.com	Laura Brisebios	10-6-13	Tessera
emdeu.translator@gmail.com	Emaedu Emmanuel	3-7-13	Jenny Z
garridomaria887@gmail.com	Maria Garrido	11-4-13	Tessera
elaineghislaine@gmail.com	Elaine Ghislaine	2-7-13	Tessera
julio2goncalves@gmail.com	Júlio Gonçalves	11-3-13	Mike W
wieland.haselbauer@hotmail.com	Wieland Haselbauer	30-6-13	Jenny Z
lara.lens@gmail.com	Lara Hens	1-7-13	Jenny Z
nick.iv44@gmail.com	Nick ivanova	4-8-13	Tessera
jiang.xuly@gmail.com	Xuly Jiango	1-8-13	Mike W
malinovskis.a@gmail.com	Aleksandrs Malinovskis	6-6-13	Tessera
jeff.k.mathe@hotmail.com	Jeff Mathe	4-7-13	Jenny Z
maria.a.mayor@hotmail.com	Maria Mayor	30-6-13	Jenny Z
gilbert.morel33@gmail.com	Gilbert Morel	24-6-13	Tessera
cecilemoss123@gmail.com	Cecile Moss	25-4-13	Tessera
attnaoussi@gmail.com	Talla Naoussi	21-5-13	Mike W
fanktrans@gmail.com	Fank Olah	20-2-13	Tessera
sonjap2008@gmail.com	Sonja Pietsch	17-12-12	Tessera
isabelspanish01@gmail.com	Isabel Rios	27-3-13	Mike W
laura.sarrica@hotmail.com	Laura Sarrica	30-6-13	Jenny Z
alex.sone.fr@gmail.com	Alex sone	1-7-2013	Tessera
helennetimokhovets@gmail.com	Elena Timokhovets	7-6-13	Mike W
linda.victorina@gmail.com	Linda Victoria	3-7-13	Jenny Z
m.pengweng@gmail.com	Peng Weng	1-8-13	Mike W
yan2chinese@gmail.com	Zhang Yan	20-2-13	Mike W
michelle.en2cn@gmail.com	Michelle Zhang	1-4-13	Mike W

Advance overpayment

Target: interpreters

Arrangements are made for an interpreter to be available for the visit of some dignitary or company hotshot. They accept your quotation and then pay it (usually by cheque) before the VIP arrives. It is then credited to your bank account, although most banks don't make it very clear that this is only provisional on the cheque not bouncing six weeks later... Then for whatever reason, you are asked to make a repayment (the guy is coming for a day less, not coming at all, the admin bod put an extra zero on the end or got it in the wrong currency, etc.). If you would be so kind as to repay the excess by return of post? Needless to say, doing so means kissing your money goodbye

Tip:

• Never refund a cheque or other advance payment until the bank has cleared it definitively. Any real customer will understand this
• Overpayments in advance are always suspicious. Nobody does that